World After
by The Ferriswheel
Summary: "Where is she?" my voice is a low hiss, my eyes pointed accusingly at the crowd of people. He doesn't make a sound, but I feel Raffe slip into the space that resides on my left. A sob escapes my mother who gazes at her hands as if they will explain to her what is going on. "I said," my tone wavering because of the dread of a response, "Where is my sister." "Gone! They took her!"
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**  
**  
I don't own Angelfall!  
**  
**Penryn  
**  
The sunrise is as resplendent as when it set the evening before Beliel captured Paige. The soft hues of fuchsia pinks and balmy yellows blend together pleasantly as if Mother Nature is reassuring us that the angels are subdued for now. The light that leaks through the shaded cracks of the truck's windows burns my eyes, but I can't look away.

The moment my body thaws I force myself up into a sitting position. The movement isn't comfortable, but comfort isn't my first priority. The fact that my body isn't back to normal is apparent, but my skin still shudders in a manner that leaves me cold. Tiny hands stroke my arm sending chilling waves of warmth through my cool skin.

_Paige._

My knees shake slightly and I stumble backwards toward the seat I laid on when the paralysis was still fading. I inhale sharply before opening my eyes to a curiously concerned Paige.

"Paige where are we?" My voice is gritty and I clear my throat to rid of the bad taste.

"At camp," she replies flashing her razor-ed teeth. I grimace at the sight. At least I can look away now.

"Is Obi here?"

She creases her eyebrows and looks at me the same way she did when I found her stacked on the other children, sweet, innocent, but utterly freaky. She creases her body into what I notice to be the sleeping figure of my mom. I curse myself for asking about Obi instead of her.

I hear a mumble of, "No more angels."

Her comment causes me to wince, although I am rooting for the humans, I don't wish for all of the angels to die. Especially Raffe, Raffe doesn't deserve to die.

"Rah-fie," I sound out his name to make it sound more real. He is flying, alive, even if he doesn't come back, that is enough for me.

_Flying with demon wings_, my mind hisses. I ignore the comment.

The door of the truck creaks in a bad need of oil, and tilts slightly ajar. Obi stands observing the contents of the vehicle, and his eyes widen in surprise at the sight of me.

"Penryn? You're- you're…" he doesn't finish his sentence.

"Obi, is the camp fine?"

A memory of the low demons attacking the camp when Anita and I were in our rigged catfight causes me to be wary.

"The camp? Yes, camp is still fine although it isn't in top condition," he grimaces when he gets to the last part of his sentence.

I glance over at mom and Paige curled in the corner of the seat too terrified to glance out at the others. I see Paige playing with her fingers the way any seven-year-old kid would when they are bored- in her case scared. She leans her slight frame against the seat and tilts her pixie face so that I can only see half of it. For a moment, I pretend Paige was never captured and somehow we found Obi's camp ourselves, that we are well fed and happily- not exactly happily- performing laundry duty. Wishful thinking. However, I would have never met Raffe, the painstakingly sarcastic, ethereal beauty, which is the archangel Raphael. And he is so much more than that. He is the angel that brought me to Paige and sacrificed his beloved wing search to bring me back to my family. I need to find that angel. The angels, they have made us into their monkeys, we are no longer humans to them. A flare of anger for the world backhands my gut, and I suppress the roar of rage threatening to be voiced. Instead, I think of Raffe.

"Will they be safe here?" I ask.

"Yes, of course. Only you and..." He doesn't say Raffe's name. I don't suppose he actually knows it either seeing as he told him to call him Wrath.

I nod. "The angel... Raffe is he...?"

"He's an angel?" His tone is incredulous.

_What's to lose? They think he's a demon already.  
_  
"Yes, do you know where he went?"

He shakes his head, but I persist. "You must've seen him at least."

"No, we don't associate with angels with the wings of a demon," he says blatantly. "Or angels of _any _kind."

I divert my gaze so I don't have to see the disgust written all over his face. Obi will help the people terrorized by the angels, but will he help someone who's assisted an angel?

* * *

It's apparent that Obi doesn't trust me fully as he did the last time I was present. He doesn't seem to distinguish that I can tell that people are flocking me wherever I go. The camp is in the process of humorless reconstruction. Obi told me that they were leaving this site soon, but it seems as if he wants to rebuild the remnants of his resistance before people lose faith. It's not as if everyone was humorous the first time, but the assault on the aerie has taken its toll on the resistance.

Mom wanders the halls crying out at times and at her worst, she whimpers for her demons to leave, not to bother her family again. Now that she realizes I am alive, her eyes scream accusation for the stitches on Paige's face they growl at how demonic the metal razors in her mouth appear. Then the emotions slack and her eyes glaze over and she fights her demons. Paige does what she is told-which isn't much-, but the thread on her lips and my terrifying memories of the matrix mars the innocence of her pixie face.

I am not assigned to laundry duty. I am-in general- not even spoken to at all. We are fed, but in this small resistance of humans, we are the outcasts. It doesn't bother me although I know Paige longs for her group of disabled friends we had in our former life. God, that life was a thousand years ago. But, if her friends would see her now they wouldn't even speak. Paige isn't a disabled kid anymore she can walk.

It has been a week since the day Raffe carried me out of the burning aerie, and flew away from the multiple rounds of bullets set afire to kill him, but I can feel his presence. I feel like if I walk out of the camp right now he would be waiting for me with his snowy wings and sarcastic sense of humor ready to fight the world. One problem is I can't exactly walk. My legs are getting stronger as the days past, but they lack agility.

In seventh grade, we had a project on diseases. My disease was paralysis. There are two types of paralyzed states, in the simple non-scientific word, for life or, short-term. I carry the latter. If I could I would go search for Raffe at this very second, but I can't leave Paige and mom here by themselves, that would never work.

I seat myself on a bed similar to the ones Raffe and I were tied up in the first night he was captured. Mom and Paige are at lunch. I take my food back to the room and pretend that Raffe is next to me smirking as I spill stew on my shirt.

"Come out!" A gruff voice sounds and fists slam the door.

My arms become taut and my stomach lurches. Nobody in the camp talks to me- except for the occasional whisper from Dee-Dum- why would they knock on my door? There is a sound of a rifle going off and leap off the bed. The door clicks open, and a man I recognize from assisting rebuilding is on the other end. He gestures to me urgently to follow him, but I don't.

"What's happening?" I ask.

"An attack! Hurry unless you prefer dying!" he shouts yanking my arm roughly. My hand lurches out just in time to grab Raffe's sword, which I don't leave out of my sight.

He sprints down the hall handing me a two Swiss Army knives and ushering me toward the safe zone in the building. The room isn't bigger than two of my rooms combined, but people fit themselves in as if there life depends on it-, which it does. Another round of rifle fires sound echoing of the walls.

"My mom and sister!" I shout over the loud screams and rifle shots.

"They're either here or they're gone!" the man says. I see a slight hint of sympathy on his face.

My mother like when Paige was captured probably took refuge, but Paige wouldn't know what to do she would be an easy target. She isn't in the room either, she wouldn't be. I sprint out the area where people squish themselves together to take refuge. The shots and wails lessen and I trip over a bloodied man trying to come across the exit. Men and women lie sprawled on the dirt bones at unusual angles, and crimson painted blood hot and fresh on cut flesh, some from bullet wounds. Some people I recognize, and some I have never encountered in my life.

A dark shadow appears over my figure and I draw back avoiding the assaulter. My eyes rake up and down the figure, which is rocking slowly in the sky, flying slightly awkwardly, and gazing down at me astounded. When he descends to the ground, his bat wings fold delicately as if they were his own.

"Penryn?" his voice his soft. "You died. I saw you, how…"

I rush to embrace him and this time he doesn't step back, instead his arms fold around me tightly.

"Raffe I can't find Paige." My voice is on the verge of cracking in desperation. I won't cry in front of Raffe.

"I thought you died," he says. His voice is caught in a lulling dazed sound.

"Raffe," I say louder, more desperate. "I can't find Paige!"

The attack is over; I can sense in the air that the assaulters have left.

_But,_ _where is my sister_?

A small crowd starts forming from the people in the camp who dared to venture outside.

"The demon," somebody cries, "he has the girl again!"

Raffe registers that they are talking about him and his back straightens. Angels are not demons. I turn to the crowd untangling myself from Raffe's embrace.

"Where is she?" my voice is a low hiss, my eyes pointed accusingly at the crowd of people.

He doesn't make a sound, but I feel Raffe slip into the space that resides on my left. A sob escapes my mother, standing in the small crowd, who gazes at her hands as if they will explain to her what is going on. Her wails are the only sound that spoils the unnerving silence.

"I said, _damn it,_" my tone wavering because of the dread of a response, "_Where is my sister_?"

The massacre lies at all of our feet, men bloodied and torn apart. It could look like the work of the angels, yet it isn't.

_It isn't._

"Gone! They took her!" a man shouts.

My eyes widen although I suspected a response of the sort.

_No, no, no she can't be gone. Who are "they"?_

I feel Raffe's hand warm against my arm, but the warmth doesn't comfort me.

_They took Paige._

**A/N: I am starting a continuation loosely based on Susan Ee's sequel **_**World After**_** that is released on November 19****th**** of this year. I hope that this will fulfill some people while we wait not so patiently for the sequel. The story is based off the summary Susan has released. Read & Review! Do tell me any constructive criticism you have because I'm not fully use to writing Penryn's voice.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**I don't own Angelfall!**

**Penryn **

The crowd dissipates long before my internal screams fade. Mom lurks in the shadows, her face stained with a substance I can't be sure is tears. Her face reflects utter devastation along with a not-exactly-there expression.

"Penryn," Raffe's hand touches my arm gently.

I stalk up to my mother grabbing hold of her arms tightly. "Where. Is. Paige."

She just shakes her hand breathing heavily. I breathe out sharply and think. Obi must've seen who or what it was. Although I'm sure it's not the work of the angels, I can't be positive. Angels. Raffe.

He situates himself on the ground picking at his black shirt. I notice that he acquired the signature black pants and lace up boots the angels have again. He tips his head up and his cobalt gaze meets mine. I make my way over to him shaking with anger.

_I will get Paige back._

"Raffe why are you here?" I ask him quietly withholding my anger.

"I could ask you the same about being alive, Penryn," he says pushing himself off the ground smoothly.

His face is grim, but his tone is still superior which brings a flicker of a smile to my face. He strides closer to me putting his hands on both on my shoulders firmly.

"You should be hunting your wings," I blurt out before he can speak.

His mouth quirks upward for a second and then he shakes his head. "I thought you were dead Penryn, what _happened_? I don't understand."

"The great archangel Raphael doesn't understand?" I tease.

It hurts to be playful when what is on my mind is Paige, but for the sake of some levity I push down my emotions. Plus, Raffe is as big of a priority as Paige is although he can take care of himself.

"Penryn, I'm serious," he chides me.

"That scorpion thing it paralyzed me, after you brought me back it started fading. I mean it's not even fully gone now," I say quickly. "Why aren't you searching for your wings?"

"What do you mean 'not _fully_ gone'?" He asks concerned.

"Raffe, stop it! I'm asking you something!"

"And I'm asking you too," he states.

I glare at the person- angel I've been worrying about day in and day out with a fierce stare. A hand touches my back lightly skimming up to my shoulder, and I flinch closer to Raffe. From Raffe's expression I can't discern if the person behind has any good intentions because his face is void from emotions so I whip around myself. Obi's eyes widen at the Swiss Army knives in my hands, and I loosen my death grip on the hilts because the pressure leaves red impressions on my palms. Raffe's fingers grip my shoulder pulling me further away from Obi.

"You're back," Obi says expressionless.

Out of my peripheral, I see Raffe's bat wings pull tight to his back until they are barely visible because of his black shirt.

_Wearing a black shirt just helps the whole "I am an angel" thing Raffe.__  
_  
"Yeah soldier boy how was planning the explosion go? Seems like you killed a lot of people and angels," Raffe says. His tone is bitter, and I suspect even though he was surprised by the actions of the angels, that he still has allegiance to his kind, just as I do to mine.

Obi grimaces at the comment; he is a leader who dislikes the mention of deaths. For me I find that bitterly comical. I shoot Raffe a death-by-glare look again and address Obi calmer.

"Did you see who attacked just now?" I ask.

I suddenly notice the slash around the curve of his neck when he moves to pop his neck, but instead breathes out a low hiss of pain. He must've seen if he is injured.

"A group of about ten men and women it was. They barged past the guards- shot most of them- stole a quarter of our supplies and then exploded into the cafeteria. They shot a couple of people, but mainly the just screamed "monster" extremely loud."

At that, I exchange a look with Raffe.

"Their main purpose seemed to be…" He stops and my stomach lurches.

"What did their main purpose seem to be?" Raffe asks for me.

"To obtain- to get your sister. They thought she was a monster. I don't understand how they knew she was _here_- I mean our location is so _perfect_, it's out of the way. There's no _way_ they could've- I mean…"

I want to tell him that in this day and age no location will be perfect with people or angels on a mission. He seems to read my thoughts because he stops rambling and shoots a deadly glare at Raffe. He is so broken that I notice even Raffe doesn't return the challenge.

"What direction did they leave in?" I persist.

He nods to the area west of Raffe's head near the heart of the forest. The same route we took to San Francisco. The trees in that direction are slightly ruffled and light prints that probably wouldn't be detectable by someone not as desperate, are present. Raffe catches my arm before I can sprint off without thinking. I glower up at him.

"Let go," I say through tightly clenched teeth. I just need to see the tracks, to identify what sick people captured my sister. Paige isn't a monster.

_She looks like one right now_, my mind spits.

Raffe's grip is firm burning into my flesh until it gets to the extent of pain. I twist away and he closes his eyes briefly and breathes as if he's frustrated.

"You're going after your sister," Obi states grimly. He knows it's not a debatable conversation, as it wasn't last time either.

Raffe makes a low sound in his throat at Obi's comment.

"Care to give some supplies soldier boy?" he asks.

"A pack of supplies would help," I nod.

"I can't spare anything, they took a quarter of our year's supplies," Obi says.

Surprisingly, he doesn't seem scared of Raffe. Not being scared of Raffe is two things: you're extremely stupid or you have some sort of power or leverage over him.

"God, are you serious? She's your own kind. I mean I understand that I look like hell and everything, but she needs to find her sister. Just some supplies soldier boy," Raffe says.

"Why are you helping her angel? What do you gain out of this? For all I know it was you who gave away the camp's location," Obi says steely.

So that's his reason. It's a plausible one too, why would an angel help a human anyway?

Why is Raffe still helping me?

"That's what you think? I should've known humans think like that," Raffe says.

The comment is a prick to the gut, but I know that he isn't directing it to me.

Obi glowers at Raffe who returns the favor. I know Obi isn't stupid so that must mean he has leverage over Raffe. But what?

"You want to know where they are angel?" Obi asks. If I didn't know him I would think his tone is taunting.

"I knew it, God help me I knew it! Where are they soldier boy? Tell me," Raffe's eyes are blazing, and I am standing in the midst of his anger.

What are they talking about? Oh, my God. Raffe's wings. Why would Obi know where Raffe's wings are though?

"Raffe," I say. I don't know what I am expecting from saying his name, but it isn't for him to ignore me.

"I'll make a deal with you angel, I'll tell you where they are if you swear to never come back here and to not release our location," Obi says unwavering.

If Raffe wasn't my friend I would admire Obi's strict determination, but then again I suppose I still do even though I know Raffe. The deal proposes that if somehow Raffe needed help he wouldn't get aid from the humans in any circumstance because he wouldn't be allowed to come back. Raffe could easily break his word if he agrees, but whatever he is he isn't one to break his word and I can tell Obi senses that too.

"Deal."

They clasp each other's hands briefly, and Obi repeats a dozen of rapid directions to Raffe before he leaves with a nod to me and four words, "Your supplies is there." His head gestures to a narrow hallow in a tree's trunk.

"Obi, wait!" I burst out loudly.

"_Penryn_," Raffe hisses.

He turns around quickly his eyes brightened in surprise.

"Are you sure you don't know who they are?"

"I don't, honestly. The twins- they might," He replies with soft sympathy, and in five quick strides, he's gone.

* * *

Penryn, _please_."

"Just let me make sure," I say for the fifth time creasing my eyebrows so that my vision becomes squinted.

"You have my sword and we have supplies ready, what else is there?" Raffe asks me.

He seems restless and extremely impatient. I suppose hearing where his wings are located brought some life back into him.

"My mom," I reply blatantly.

"She's coming with us?"

A surge of pleasure gushed through me when he says "us". We never discussed if he was going with me or not and now that he confirmed it makes me feel safer. The reality of it all washes over me again and the brooding attitude I acquired returns.

My conversation with Dee-Dum was entirely short-lived seeing as they couldn't be found by practically anybody in the camp. Nobody wanted to talk to me though and Raffe was a depiction of most people's worst nightmares by his bat wings that even his sense of humor- not that it ever helped us before- and ethereal beauty didn't make up for it.

Mom seemed to vanish in the same disappearing act Dee-Dum performed prior to the haunting echoes for Paige disappeared from my mind. The thought of mom and Paige absent is unsettling to the point that I don't notice the tears slowly burning the back of my eyes.

"Penryn, it's- You'll find them, don't worry," Raffe's hand rests on my shoulder lightly skimming to my hair.

I just stare up at him taking in his features. I didn't know angels could have bags under their eyes, and that they could console a human. The angels I know wreak havoc on my reality and destroy the remnants of my family.

"Come on Penryn, we'll leave in the morning, it's getting dark anyway," Raffe tells me gently pushing my shoulders down so I am lying on the bed that I didn't notice was there.

He strides to the cushioned chair a few feet away from the head of the bed and sits down adjusting himself so he appears comfortable. The light in the room fades although nobody turns it off- or I suppose I'm not lucid enough to distinguish if Raffe gets up to perform the task.

Just as I did the nights she was captured I dream of Paige.

**A/N: Please enjoy this chappie. Thanks for all the reviews and positive comments although if you have any constructive criticism I'm open for it. Read & Review!**


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